Guard-plate fastener



Sept. 20, 1932. H. P. CHRSTENSEN 1,878 378 GUARD PLATE FASTENER Filed May 12, 1932 I I3 1' l 7 [I I2 2 H. P. CHRISTENSEN. I E mR ATTORNEY parallel with the Patented Sept. 20, 1932 I HANS 1 CHRISTENSEN, or; DAVEY, NEBRASKA GUARD-,PLATEEASTEN'EB" .Applicationfi led ma 1-2, 1e32, Serial 110. 610,843.

My invention relates to reciprocating cut-l ters for harvesting machines, and part1cu-' larly' to guard-fingers andledgenplates for use on such cutters. It isthe object of my 5 invention to provide, f'oruse in mowers, and other harvesting machines whlch employ reciprocating cutters, means for fastening the ledger plates to the guard-fingers, whereby the removal and replacementof said plates is may be greatly facilitated, and the replace-.

ment of the guard-plates effected without removing the guards from the finger-bar, or

removing the latter from the machine, and

, whereby such replacements or repairs may 1'5 be made in the field and with a minimum. of delay and loss of time in the use of the machine. i

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a p I longitudinal vertical section through a 5 guard-finger having aledger-plate secured v thereon by means embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same on the line 22 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the lines 3-3 of Figs, 1 and 2, and Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the connector-plate alone. My invention is adapted for use on reciprocating cutters of the ordinary or standard c construction, wherein a finger-bar 10 has a 3, plurality of guard-fingers 11 afiixed thereon in uniformly spacedlongitudinal relation, and extending forwardly therefrom; there being a reciprocatin sickle-bar 12 extending front edge thereof and carrying cutter-plates 13 which rest upon the upper faces of the ledger-plates 14 carried upon the guardfingers within the notched or forked forwardly extending portions thereof. Each 4g) ledger-plate 14; has in the read end thereof a semi-circular notch adapted to fit over a similarly shaped lug 15, and at the front end is shouldered to form a lug 16 adapted to fit j within a recess in the guard; Adjacent to 4;, the notched rear end of the ledger-plate is a countersunk opening for receiving a rivet 17 by which the plate is prevented from-being displaced vertically. It is to be understood that the ledger-plate 14, the sickle-members d 13 and the finger-bar 10, as reprefinger-bar adjoining the.

sented in the drawin'gare allof the usualor' standard construction,and that theguard finger llis also: [of the usualstandard formm tion except as hereinafter noted. In the ordinary structure, the lug 15, fwhichfits in the notched rear end of theledgenplate, is formed integrally with thezgu'ard-finger,

the rivet- 17' extended down through an,

opening therefor in the'lower portion of the guard, so that to remove the plate fromthe' guard it isnecessa-ry' to'eut a head fronr the rivet and drive-ordril'lthe bodyof the rivet out of the openings thereforintheiplate' and guard; andin securing the plate upon the I guard-a. rivet must be inserted and headed.

In my improved structure, however, the

se1ni-circular lug'15 is formed on a separate p-ieceor connector 18 which extends" forward beneath the plate, past the openingfor the rivet' and ,hasanopening therein for re-- ceiving thejri'vet, Thelongitudinal edges- 'ofthe connector 18 are beveled to a dove-tail formatio-mand in the guard beneath thereari portion oaths plate 14 there is formeda dovetail recess 'or' socketad'apted to receive said do-vetailededges; of the connector." In the rearp'ortion' of the connector, and eX- tending through the lug 15, is anlopening' 19. adapted toregister with opening 20in;

the lower portion of the guardwhen the connector is seated in the'do-vetail socket there for, so that a pi n121 may be inserted in said registering openings to prevent rearward displacement of the connector;

Intheuse of my 1nvention, a connectorof the described character is provided for; each ledger-plate" that is to be used, and said parts are assembleda'nd permanently secured togethenby suitable means such as'the rivet 17 i Bysli'ding the ledger-plate and con nector assembly-. into the guard-finger 1.from' the hear, the rounded; front portionof the connector readily enters the dovetail socket therefor in theguard, and the'connectorbecomes firmlyseated in said socket simultane-" ously with the seating of the lug16' on the front'end of the: plate; within the recess therei for r in the front POItlOIl ofrthe' guard; Up}

and lateraf displacement "of the ledger: plate" are effectively prevented when the con? r V I teasers nector and the lug 16 are fully seated respectively in the socket and recess, and rearward displacement is prevented byinserting the pin 21 in the registering holes 19 and 20 of the connector and guard. Said pin 21 may be of wood and of a diameter requiring the same to be driven .into the. holes, so as to remain thereifiatthe position to which'itis'driven.

When it is desired to removethe plate from the guard, it'is merely necessary to drive the pin 21 out of the holes 19 and-20, after which .the plate and connector are moved rearwardly to displace the connector =-from the dovetail socket and simultaneously displace v the lug 16 from the'recess 'therefor in the frontportimi of the guard. It is noted that thelength of the connector 18 is not greater than the width of the sickle-bar 12, and its depth. or thickness is substantially the same as; thatofthe sickle-bar, so that when .withdrawing the: connector; from its socket, or when disposing the same in position for in sertion inthe socket. the connector will lie in the spacebetween,the rear end of the socket and the front edge of the finger-bar From the foregoing description it will be apparent thatmy invention provides means byvwhich the ledgerrplates may be very easily and quicklyremoved and replaced. upon the guards." 'lheuser of'aharvesting machine with a socket extending longitudinally beneath the rearv portion of the ledgerplate, of a connector-plate fitting slidably in said socket, means for afiixing said ledger-plate to said connector-plate, and removable means for holding said connectorplate in fixed longitudinal relation to said socket 1 -q 3. In a structure of the class described, the combination with a ledger-plate, and a guardfinger recessed to receive slidably the front portion of the ledger-plate and provided with a longitudinally extending dovetail socket beneath the rear portion of the ledger-plate, of a connector having a plate portion insertible slidably in said dovetail socket from the rear end thereof only, means for aflixing the ledger-plate to said connector, said connector and guard-finger having registering openings therein and a removable pin insertible in said registering openings to, retain the connector in said socket.

may 'c arry thereon a supply of the ledgerplat s, qu pp d w t e; c n o nd, at

' any- -time that a change is required an old ledger-plate may be removed by merely driving out the pin 21 which retains the same in I place, a nd a new plate inserted and secured V inplace by driving a wooden pin intorthe.

registering holes in the connector and guard. The cost of manufacture of the guard-fingers,

withuthe dovetail sockets therein for theconrj ne ctors, needb e but little if anygrea terthan for guard-fingers of the usual or standard form; standard;-ledger-plates are used; and

the connectors may jbeproduced very cheaply by drop-forging; so that thegcost 'of the;

improved equipment isonly nominally great er than forv the ordinarystructure.

Now, having described by invention, what l claim and desireto secure by LettersPatent 1s: i. r 1

ml. In a structure of the class described, the combinationwith a guard finger and a ledgerplate, of means forming a socket in said guard-finger, ,a connector. aflixed beneath, the

ledger-plate slidable longitudinally into and fromlsaid socketin the guard-finger theguard finger andsaid connector having vertical openings register ng ,whenthe connector lsseated n sald socket, and apln lnsertible 4 insaid registering openings-to hold theconnectorinseatedposition in the socket. 2. V In a; structure of the class described, the

combinationwitli a ledgerplate, and a guard finger recessed. to ..-recei've the f-forwaLrd en the lessee-pl teqen Qfp e d d lap 

